Rheostat-resistance car-heater.



J. T. SKINNER. RHEOSTAT RESISTANCE OAR HEATER. APPLICATION FILED PEER],1914. 1 1 2 I 674 Patented Dec. 22, 1914.

4 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

' Wi+nesses J. T. SKINNER. RHEOSTAT RESISTANCE GAR HEATER. APPLICATIONFILED FBB.7, 1914'.

1,121,674. Patented Dec. 22,1914.

4 SHEETS-SHEBT 2.

Wi+nesses I n ve for;

J. T. SKINNER. RHEOSTAT RESISTANCE GAR HEATER.

- APPLICATION PIILED FEB.7, 1914.

4 SHEETS-SHEET 3,

Wifness es J. T. SKINNER. RHEOSTAT RESISTANCE CAR HEATER. APPLICATIONFILED PEB.7,191.

1 1215674. Patented Dec. 22, 1914. 4 SHEETS-SHEET 4.

Fig /5 Fig. 14

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30 Y I door removed,- together with a part of the JOHN T. SKINNER} OFLAWRENCE, KANSAS.

Specification of Letters Patent.

RHEOSTAT-RESISTANCE CAR-HEATER.

' Application filedFebruary 7, 1914. Serial No. 817,252. I

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that 1, JOHN T. SKINNER, a citizen of the United States,residing at Lawrence, in the county of Douglas and State of Kansas, haveinvented a new and useful Rheostat-Resistance Car-Heater, of which thefollowing is a specification.

The present invention relates to the heatger compartments, as well asfor creating,

' etc., of the car equipment.

where desired, currents of air for the purpose of ventilation.

The apparatus of the present invention is designed primarily for thepurpose of utilizing the energy heretofore wasted in the form of heatwhich is ordinarily dissipated and lost and which energy is necessarilyconsumed in effecting the proper control and regulation of the motors,lights,

Referring to the "accompanying drawings,Figure 1 is a front view of arheostat equipment with the front sliding metal resistance grids, toshow the path of the air circulating through the compartment. Fig. 2 isan edge view of the arrangement shown in Fig. 1, as it appears with theedge panel,

heat resisting panel and grids removed, this View also showing the pathof the air circulating in the compartment, and also a portion of theheadlight resistance heater where it joins the main heater for thecirculation of air through both of the heaters. Fig. 3 is a sectionalelevation of a car platform or vestibule showing the heater in positiontherein. Fig. 4 is a diagrammatic end view; and Fig. 5 a diagrammatictop plan view of the arrangement shown in Fig. 3. Fig. 6 is an elevationof a motor rheostat resistance grid bank, showing the form of the endsupports for facilitating. the mounting of the rheostat in the heatershown in the preceding figures. Figs. 7 and 8 are a cross section and aninside elevation respectively of the end frame or support of therheostat. Fig. 9 is a section (on the line 9.9 Fig. 10) longitudinallyvthrough the top comp rtment. o th ma h a er, illustrating thearrangement of the drain table. Fig.

Patented Dec. 22, 1914.

10 is a section (on theline 10-l0 Fig. 9)

in a plane at right angles to the plane of the section of Fig. 9. Fig.11 is an elevation of the front sliding metal door having a small doortherein through which air from the headlight rheostat heater passes intothe main heater. Figs. 12 and 13 are vertical and horizontal crosssections respectively of the door shown in Fig. 11. Fig. 14 is aperspective view of the headlight rheostat resistance heater.

Like letters of reference in the several figures indicate the sameparts.

In carrying the invention into practice, the rheostat or resistanceelements for the motor equipment, as well as'the lights, such, forexample, as the headlight of the car, are grouped together in suitablecompartments through which a current or currents of air are caused totravel into the passenger compartments or space of the car structure.

Suitable provision is made whereby the air traveling through therheostat compartments may be regulated or, where weather conditions donot make it desirable to heat the cars, the air may be discharged freelyso as to maintain a proper cooling and ventilating condition around therheostats for dissipating the heat generated in their normal operation.The arrangement is such that the ventilation and cooling of the rheostatelements is taken care of, regardless of the use to which the heatgenerated thereby is put, and this condition makes it desirable that thesaid rheostat elements should be locatedoutside of the passenger spaceof the car, so that the heat may be dissipated when it is not desired toutilize -the-same for heating purposes.

b i g o m y a ing d J S w n detail in Figs. 11, 12 and 13. Above thecompartment formed by the frames A and B, there is located an entrancecompartment T having one end open for the free flow 'of air into themain compartment, and in order to prevent the entry of water it ispreferably provided with an inclined vwater table t and a deflectort',thus permitting the free entry of air downwardly into the mainrheostat compartment, which air may be Caused or allowed to escapethrough an opening 9' which is conveniently in communication with thepassenger space of the car body. The preferred and, it is believed, themost practical arrangement is that shown in Figs. 3, 4 and 5, where therheostat compartment or heater is located on i the platform or in thevestibule of the car,

in such position that the air passing out through the opening G will bedischarged into the body of the car. a A

The frames A at the edges of' the rheostat or heater compartment areprovided with angle iron brackets C extending from front to rear of theheater and spaced apart vertically a proper distance to receive therheostat grids or elements and form rigid supports therefor. Byreference to Figs. 1, 6,-

7, and 8, it will be seen that each of the rheostat elements or grids isprovided with an end frame I preferably in the form of a cupped metalframe, whereby they may be made relatively thin and yet amply rigid towithstand any bending stress. Said frames are connected together bylongitudinal bolts I and at an intermediate point' they are" providedwith outwardly projecting brackets adapted to seat on the supports 'Cand when the grids are properly positioned to be rigidly connected withsaid supports C v by suitable bolts 0 whereby the whole framework,including the frames of the resistance elements, will be united into arigid structure. With this construction any one 'of' the rheostatelements or grids may be independently removed from the heater forrepair or replacement, and access to them is gained by removing thesliding front J which extends throughout the full width of the heatercompartment, and when removedleaves the whole front of the compartmentopen so as to avoid any possible interference with the free removal orfree access to the resistance elements.

As before stated, the main heater which is inclosed by the edge panelsE, top .T and front J is adapted to contain the rheostats for the mainmotor equipment of the ,car, and in order to augment their heatingeffect, without exposing the resistance. elements of the headlight orother lighting equipment of the car to the possibility of injury, shoulda blow-out occur'in the main resistance elements, said rheostats for thelighting equipment are preferably located in a'separate what I claim asnew and desire to compartment H. For, convenience, the said compartmentor heater H is located on the car in proximity to the main heater, as

theslide y is adapted to be adjusted by a set screw handle j.

Obviously, air forcing means may be employed in connection with theheater, either to force the air through the same into the car body forheating the latter, or for keeping the resistance elements cool when theheating of the car body is not an object, but in either event therheostats are so located that they are susceptible of use as heatingelements, and the arrangement is such that the heat ordinarily wastedmay be utilized economically. This dispenses with the necessity ofproviding separate heaters directly in the passenger space of the cars,thus not only saving the cost of installing such heaters, but conservingthe energy which is ordinarily wasted as dissipated heat in the normalrunning of the electrical equipment.

Having thus described my invention,

Letters Patent of the United States, is:

1. The combination with an electrically driven car and rheostats forminga part of the power equipment, of a heater compartment, exterior to' thebody of the car, in which said rheostats are mounted, an air, ductleading from said heater compartment into the body of the car, an airintake duct leading into said'heater compartment, and means forexcluding moisture from the intake duct, substantially as described.

2. In an electric car, a combinedrheostat and heater forming a unitadapted to be secured on the car body and embodying a metal framework,insulating panels inclos-- ing said framework to form a heatercompartment, inwardly projecting brackets on said framework, rheostatelements rigidly mounted on said brackets one above the other and airintake and exitdlicts through secure by which air is supplied to thecar, substan-' tially as described.

3. A rheostat resistance heater for elec-- tric cars forming a unitadapted to-be secured on the car body and embodying a, heatercompartment having heat insulating inclosinguwalls and intake and exitopenings for air supplied to the car, incom bination with rheostatresistance heating elements embodying end frames having out- 'wardlyprojecting brackets, and brackets rigid with the compartment'frame forcooperation with said first mentioned brackets for supporting therheostats rigidly in position within the heater.

L. In a rheostat resistance heater for electric cars, the combinationwith the frame having inwardly projecting angle iron brackets and aninclosing casing to form a heater compartment, of rheostat resistanceheater elements embodying cupped end frames having outwardly projectingbrackets for cooperation with the angle iron brackets on the firstmentioned frame, and

fastening means for connecting" said brackets.

5. In a rheostat resistance heater for electric cars, the combinationwith the framework having inwardly projecting rheostat supportingbrackets, a heat insulating inclosing casing provided with an airentrance opening at the top, and an air exit opening at the bottom, of aseries of rheostat resistance heating elements mounted on said brackets,one above and out of contact with the other, and means for securing therheostat resistance elements in place.

6. The combination with an electric car having a platform vestibule, ofa rheostat resistance heater compartment mounted in. said vestibule andhaving an air intake opening, and an air exit opening leading into. thebody oi the car, and rheostat resistance heater elements mounted in saidheater compartment.

7. In a rheostat resistance heater for electric cars the combinationwith the frame work having inwardly projecting rheostat support bracketsand a heater insulated inclosing casing provided with an air entranceopening at one end and an air opening exit at the opposite end, of aseries of rheostat resistance heating element mounted on said bracketsone out of contact with the other and means for securing rheostatresistance elements in place.

J. T. SKENNER.

